Greg Jefferson: The bumpy ride ahead

This was a burning question among City Hall insiders a few weeks ago: With Richard Perez term-limited, which — if any — of the four second-term council members would Mayor Phil Hardberger tap as his new lieutenant?

A new burning question: Will any second-term council members still be around in a few months?

This was a burning question among City Hall insiders a few weeks ago: With Richard Perez term-limited, which — if any — of the four second-term council members would Mayor Phil Hardberger tap as his new lieutenant?

A new burning question: Will any second-term council members still be around in a few months?

OK, yes. Councilwomen Delicia Herrera and Sheila McNeil are planning to stay, as is Hardberger, the council’s only at-large member. But odds are high that Councilmen Roland Gutierrez and Kevin Wolff won’t be hanging around City Hall much longer.

After this September’s budget battles, Gutierrez is widely expected to leave office to challenge state Rep. Robert Puente, and Wolff will likely step down to run for the Precinct 3 seat on Commissioners Court.

That means freshmen would make up a super-super-majority, holding eight of the council’s 11 seats.

And that means rampant inexperience.

And a bigger burden for Hardberger.

“Losing Kevin and Roland would make our jobs that much harder,” he said. “You’re losing two people that know the ropes and that generally have been very helpful in the things we’ve been dealing with. If I had my way about it, I’d like them to stay.”

Two years ago, soon after moving into the corner office, Hardberger lined up Perez as his lieutenant to act as go-between with the council. The mayor also had five second-term members with him on the dais; they didn’t have to be schooled in the ABCs of city government.

And he wasn’t Ed Garza. That too probably helped as he welded the council into a unit that, on numerous issues, voted unanimously. In 2005, Hardberger ran — and won — as a leader when City Hall seemed to many to lack leadership. As public confidence edged up, the council was mostly happy to go along with Hardberger, happy to tie their political fortunes to his.

But sour memories of Garza’s administration have faded.

If Gutierrez and Wolff leave, the council’s old hands could comfortably meet in a broom closet.

And neither McNeil nor Herrera are believed to be in the running for lieutenant.

In other words, the famous Bette Davis line from All About Eve — “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride” — seems appropriate.

Of course, council members unsure of what they’re doing could embrace Hardberger even harder than the last council, relying even more on his leadership — and further strengthening his hand.

“Am I in a stronger position if they leave?” Hardberger said. “I really don’t know. But I know I’d rather have them there helping me. It’s detrimental to the council to lose experienced members.”